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The food addiction is real, and combining that with surgery not being an instant cure all that fixes your problems, while still allowing you to eat as you did before is a double whammy. I'm dealing with missing the food I used to eat, and it stays on my mind constantly still. I'm only 2 weeks out from my procedure, but not regretting it so far. As @ChunkCat and others have said, basically kissing diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol goodbye is what makes the compromise worth it to me. Five years or so ago, before I started having debilitating problems with all of those, I probably would've regretted it, but since my health declined significantly in the last year, to the point that I was a burden on my wife and family, I had to make this change. I don't know if this will help anyone that is on the fence or regretting having it done, but take it from me, if you can avoid having the uncontrolled blood sugars issues even with meds, not knowing if I'm going to pass out or have my heart feel like its going to beat out of my chest from hypertension and tachycardia, it is worth it. My dizzy spells and stroke-level blood pressure have already subsided thankfully. I'm already off my diabetes meds, just on a reduced dose of my blood pressure medicine, which my primary care thinks I can wean off of by March. Not trying to sound condescending, because you are going through a lot of trauma in this process, but consider yourself lucky that you can avoid this happening to you. It came out of nowhere and slapped me, and if this helps you from having it happen, I'm glad you had it done. Yes there's limitations after surgery, but you can live without that constant fear of death hanging over your head. Please seek the therapy you need to at least get things off your chest, but also to help learn new habits to replace the ones you spent a lifetime building. Just venting to my therapist helps me a lot. Sorry, rant over. Just wanted to help reframe things if I can.

I was sleeved in March, and as of last week, I have officially lost 81. I started at 309, I'm currently 228, and I've noticed my progress has slowed down a lot. I'm anxious that I won't keep losing weight, because I'm only halfway to where I want to be. It sucks because I know I should be celebrating all of my hard work, but I'm scared I'll be stuck where I'm at and that my progress is over. I'm still tracking my calories, and I'm averaging about 1200-1300 a day. I walk at least 30 minutes a day, strength train 2 times a week, and I try to stay active on the weekend (5 mile hike & 1.5 hours kayaking yesterday). I struggled for so long to lose weight, and I'm scared I'll go back to struggling now.

I'm having a food slump! I in no way get the water in each day I'm supposed too.. I'm not thirsty and to be honest I really hate going to the restroom 20+ times a day IF I do get close to the required 64+ oz a day. Plus, I don't understand why I need to, I didn't drink that much beforehand, so I don't understand why suddenly having a smaller stomach requires a sudden huge mandatory increase in water consumption!? Plus, I am sooooooooooooooooooo burnt out on the same foods over and over and yes over. I detest eggs (always have) and have always preferred something like avocado toast for breakfast and a cup of coffee. I detest cooking so I tend to eat the same thing every single day - something I can cook in quantity. Lately its been turkey chili with added protein powder. Chicken breast with veggies is boring/bland... Then there's the chicken of the sea - white fish with veggies..again just not my thing. So, I just eat the same thing over and over. I have to admit, I miss sauces, thai noodles and pizza and foods I can dip! I have a food texture problem so it leaves quite a few things off my plate..plus I'm hypersensitive to carbs - racing heart feeling jittery so I eat very low carb (under 25) low sugar, low calorie in other words low taste (to me anyway). I do what I have to to lose the weight and become healthy.. But its taken a lot of joy out of life, the holidays just plain suck now...all the family traditions came to a stop because of me (we used to all get our favorite restaurant dishes and share pot luck style for New Years), bake cookies with a Cookie exchange (no one wants my healthy protein balls - I eat them because I need protein, not because they're great tasting). I know I'm suppose to eat for fuel, but, we all eat for joy - if people didn't there wouldn't be different foods, cooking styles and spices, we eat at get togethers, social times, celebrations - I can't and don't want to inflict my eating restrictions/requirements on everyone else. I fight that siren song and battle it every week, anyone else? Anyone have any reasonable suggestions? (I added reasonable because my dietician suggests things like - " you want crunchy "eat a celery stick" you want noodles try palm noodles..etc. NOT even close. I think dieticians in bariatric clinics should have been a bariatric patient themselves so they'd understand their suggestions suck. Perhaps I'm asking if anyone else is or has gone through this...slump.....I find its easier to just not eat than eat another healthy bland boring food. Sorry for the rant.

I stopped taking pain meds after week 1. I still had pain week 2 but it was bearable. I had gastric bypass and hernia repair so YMMV. The pain didn't go away completely for weeks but was more like twinges depending on what I was doing and how I moved. Nothing that needed continued pain meds . GL

Don't bring a ton of stuff to the hospital, you'll spend most of your time trying to drink and walking. No need for a ton of entertainment items or toiletries. I spent two days (9/25-9/27) in the hospital and the only thing I grabbed out of my bag was my phone charger. Invest in a vitamin/pill organizer. I tried taking my pills straight out of the medicine bottles and was constantly forgetting. The organizer keeps everything in one place and is a better visual reminder. Ask for a binder in the hospital, it helps immensely when changing positions. I wore mine religiously for the first two weeks.

it may not be just the corn (aside: i had no probs with corn when i first tried it around 3 mnths post), but all the other stuff thats on the elote? the mayo, with its high fat content may be a culprit? or maybe the dairy in the cheese? or the butter if there was any on it.....

I have my VSG scheduled that Monday, so I am right there with you. My family asked me why I didn't just wait until after the holidays, but like what you said, I can't let food be the excuse to push it back further. That and it was the only time I could use enough leave time + holiday time to take off for a week.

Yay! Great job!! Make sure to get that water in, it will prevent headaches and keep you out of the hospital. Good for you getting shakes in, I can just barely get one in 2 weeks out! LOL Glad your pain is well controlled. I'm doing good, thanks! Hoping to move to purees Thursday after I see the surgeon at my follow up. Pain is greatly reduced and soreness is starting to fade. Incisions had an allergic reaction to the glue but the cream they prescribed calmed it down fast. They look great now! Still getting my water in. Had to change my electrolyte formula because the one I was taking had a lot of magnesium in it and was sending me straight to the bathroom with awful diarrhea every time I took it! LOL I found a new one that is working much better now. I weirdly feel like I have more energy now than I did before surgery and I'm not sure how that's possible. I have chronic fatigue syndrome so any boost in energy is VERY welcome. I'm sleeping better too. I hear some people do really well in ketosis, I guess I'm one of them. I'm really thankful for that. I've never been able to get my body to go into ketosis before! So glad I had this surgery...

I thought I'd update this since I'm 2 weeks post op. The other day I was sitting on the couch and noticed I felt energy in my body. Like, excess energy. In fact, I realized I have more energy now than I did before surgery---and I'm still recovering from a major surgery!! How is that possible? How much better will it be when I'm recovered? I have not felt extra energy in my body in longer than I can remember. At least a decade. The surgeon thinks it is from the reduced inflammation in my system. All I know is that yesterday I went to the grocery store and was standing and roaming around for nearly an hour. I haven't been able to do that in years, my partner took over all the shopping duties. It seems like a small thing, but anyone with fatigue knows it is actually a very big thing! Today I was able to cook two meals and do the dishes, something else I haven't been able to do in a while. I'm sleeping better at night and going to bed pleasantly tired because I've actually been able to do something with my day besides sit on the couch! This is so foreign, but welcome... I had no idea the surgery would or even could do this!! If I knew I would have had this done a decade ago. I'm just rather blown away at the moment...

Welcome everyone!! We're getting closer! I'm in my third week of my pre-op diet, 5th day of all shakes. It's not so bad as long as you stay hydrated and use water flavoring packets! My surgery is still Nov. 1st, I'm a little scared they will cancel now that I've been on this diet for so long. 😂 I've started using the antibacterial soap they require we shower with for days before surgery. We even have to sleep on fresh sheets the night before! These surgery requirements make sense but also make me laugh sometimes... LOL

There are some people who continue to feel hunger after the surgery. Be careful you’re not confusing real hunger & head hunger. Real hunger feels different. I feel like something is wrong & restless. I never want a specific food, favour or texture. And there is a reason why I feel hungry - like I haven’t eaten for a few hours. It does take time to work out your cues for real hunger. The other issue to consider is you’re still healing. Someone recently posted their surgeon said it can take 8 weeks or more to fully heal internally after a sleeve. This includes your nerves which were cut which is why our messages for hunger, satiety, etc, aren’t accurately felt, or in the case if your restriction not felt at all during this recovery period. It’s why we have to be careful of how much we eat & drink. I always say all because you can doesn’t mean you should. You may be able to eat a portion larger than you’ve been told or drink more but the signals telling you stop or warning you of danger aren’t working properly. Go slowly making small changes. Best not to push to see how much you think you can do. There’s lots of little things to learn about post surgery, consider & most importantly learn about yourself. But you’ll get there. All the best with your recovery.

I'm a little different because I had the bypass (8.5 years ago), but I started out at almost 400 lbs, so weight-wise, we were in similar starting positions. The first year seems like a huge life change, but sitting here years out, the only thing that's different is that I average about 1600 calories a day rather than 3000+. When I go out to eat, I eat maybe half the entree and take the rest home in a to-go box (or sometimes I'll get something like an appetizer or soup rather than an entree if I'm not that hungry). Other than that...??? Oh - I take vitamins regularly now. But other than that, not that much different. But again, the first year or so - yes. But you'll be doing quite a bit of prep work before that. For example, my insurance required me to do a six-month diet with a registered dietitian, and she kind of eased me into the type of diet I'd be following after surgery. She had me eating 2300 kcal/cay (which now would seem like a ton - like Thanksgiving day - but at the time seemed like a diet - although enough calories to be at least tolerable). She also had me gradually decrease my carb intake and increase my protein intake. I focused on healthy foods (although I ate a pretty healthy diet even BEFORE surgery, I just ate way too much). She had me start taking a multivitamin every day and getting some exercise about 3x a week. My surgeon also didn't want us drinking caffeinated beverages for the first six months after surgery (although some surgeons are fine with caffeine), so she also had me gradually decrease my caffeine intake. So basically, I was as prepared as I could be before they rolled me into surgery. I don't have PCOS and have never had a hysterectomy, so I can't address that, but I know WLS patients who've had both. Hopefully someone will respond to you on that.

I usually eat whatever I feel like. Today I had coffee with half cup of 1% milk and collagen powder (breakfast). For lunch, I had a 120g slice of bacon, egg, onion quiche (homemade). For snacks, my go-tos are crispy grapes and strawberries. I eat all types of fruit, and often changes depending how I feel. Like yesterday, I had some of a fresh cacao fruit. Other days, I love frozen durian. Not sure what I'll have for dinner, thinking of two black bean tacos (I like the black bean fiesta) but I may make some oxtail soup with veggies. It's good for prepping several little bowls for later meals. Before maintenance, during stalls, I would cut back my calorie intake on my weekly average till it breaks. To help, I use a lot of konjac noodles because they are basically calorie and carbohydrate free. In maintenance, if I gain a couple pounds, I do the same to get to my accepted weight range. I have no secrets, it's boring, I watch my calories. I have to unfortunately. My exercise is to live an active lifestyle by constantly moving wherever I am, but I don't ever do a formal exercise plan because I can't exercise my way out when I eat too much lol (As the saying goes) and it makes me more hungry anyway. I move for health, not to lose weight.

I couldn't eat fruit for the first three weeks, although I was told I could eat it after a week. I don’t know how to do it correctly, but it seems that some doctors themselves don’t know.

I finished my schooling and am officially working in my chosen field as a medical assistant!!! I got my certification and I'm working in a critical care pulmonary office. I'm absolutely LOVING it!! And even though I can look at myself and see the weight loss, and I can see my diabetes and blood pressure are normal now, I still have a hard time believing I'm physically able to do my job and do it well. Yet here I am....doing the d@mn thing!!! I have a CT with contrast on the 29th because my bariatric surgeon thinks I have a distal hernia (if you look at my stomach in my pic, you can see that area poking out a little). And I have my complete hysterectomy scheduled for March 6th. If the CT confirms the distal hernia, that will also require a surgery, but I have no idea when that will happen. I'm hoping before the hysterectomy because the hernia repair can be done laparoscopically (I think) but I have to have an abdominal hysterectomy because the fibroids are way too big to come out laparoscopically and I have to have EVERYTHING removed because I tested positive for the BRCA cancer gene (will need all of my breast tissue removed at a later date, but my insurance will cover reconstructive breast surgery, so YAY for a free boob job). This last 50 pounds still won't leave me, and it's absolutely driving me crazy. No matter what I do, I can't get it to go. I'm hoping the hysterectomy will help a little because the fibroids are so big, they're making my uterus the size of a 16 week pregnant uterus. They also said the hysterectomy should help somewhat with my PCOS, since that's likely what's preventing that last 50 pounds from coming off. So here's hoping this is end of my weight issues and the last of my surgeries!!!

With my now being six weeks post-op, I'm curious what others' calorie intake has been in the early stages of typically rapid weight loss after surgery and am well aware that intake increases and body weight decreases. I realize everyone is different, and clearly stated in my original post that I have already spoken about this with my dietitian for my own case. I'm not seeking medical advice from an internet forum on what my target should be; I'm opening a conversation about the topic to see where other bariatric patients have found their own successes with respect to their caloric intake as one metric.

It may help you, like it has for me, to focus on adding good habits as much or more as taking away your bad habits. When I first talked to my doctor about bariatric surgery, I spent several weeks cleaning out all the items in my pantry and freezer that I knew were not doing good things for me. Things like snack foods and highly processed stuff, and anything I know I will binge eat, like pretzels or chocolate. I also bought some WLS books, including A Pound of Cure from Dr. Matthew Weiner. I read through all his steps for changing your diet and figured out the easiest ones for me to do and started there. For example, I'm not a big fan of artificial sweetener, and Diet Coke was the only thing I was really doing that broke that "rule," so it was pretty easy for me to make the cut. Same with adding a pound of vegetable per day. That change alone has made a lot of other things easier for me, like cutting out bread and reducing dairy. I find I am so full after a green smoothie at breakfast or a salad with beans for lunch that I am not as hungry at dinner, and don't feel the need to snack as much. When I do snack, I've bought raw or dry roasted nuts to replace the junk I used to buy. I've lost about 16 pounds in 4 months, and unlike in the past when I've "dieted," I don't really feel like I'm missing out. Plus, I make exceptions a couple times per month and don't feel guilty about it. By focusing on the health aspects and not tracking the calories, it really helped me make changes that promote a healthier weight without feeling overburdened or deprived. I hope that helps!

I am 100% NOT putting chicken feet in mine! Also, you might check Amazon if you end up liking the Kettle and Fire brand. It turned out to be about $1.50 cheaper per carton than my local grocery store if I bought the 6 pack there. I have a monthly subscribe and save order to get the best price, and since my surgery isn't until the end of December, I'm buying one 6-pack per month and tucking them away so I have plenty for those first couple weeks when I know I'll want convenience more than anything else.

December 27th here! I started back in July when a visit to my doctor on the non-surgical side of the weight loss center yielded the suggestion that I consider surgery. I was all too happy to do so after 6 years of nutrition and then meds never yielded more than fleeting results. I did an immersion day in August where I learned all the rules, and then I needed appointments with psychologist and nutritionist before meeting with surgeon in early October. I was hoping for mid-November, but the earliest they had was end of December so I'm making the best of it. My doctor only requires 2 days of liquid diet, which means I can celebrate Christmas Eve but will be on protein shakes for Christmas, but not longer, which is nice. I'm grateful that the kids will be off school and won't need "Mom's Taxi Service" to get them to all their after school activities that week. In the meantime, I've been working on my nutrition, slowly eliminating processed foods, added sugars, artificial sweeteners, breads, snack foods, etc. I've made a lot of progress ridding the house of unhealthy foods and adding more vegetables into my daily diet. I've also bought several bariatric cookbooks and have been choosing some recipes to try in the next 8 weeks so I have practice with them. I'm hoping a few will be winners with the kids, too. We're all working on getting better with nutrition and I'm glad to have them excited about trying new, healthier options.

I ate cucumber from about 6-8 weeks I think but it was ages for other vegetables. Though I tend to steam my vegetables & rarely eat them raw (except for salad vegetables like cucumber, tomato, celery, etc.). Raw vegetables are more coarse & can cause issues like the foamies & can be harder to digest which may be why we’re encouraged to wait a few months before eating them & when we’re more fully healed. Is it the vegetables you crave or the crunch? if it’s more the crunch try cucumber just remove the seeds. The higher water content helps makes them easier to swallow & digest. And they’re good for your digestion. (Used to wrap smoked salmon around wedges with a little cream cheese for lunch - was yum until my tummy decided it didn’t like smoked salmon again. 😁)

major complications are really rare. I think it looks like they're more common than they actually are because people who have them get on this and other sites to ask for support and advice about them. People who have no issues don't generally broadcast that fact. They just go on with their lives. I did have a complication - a stricture. The PA at my clinic said that's the most common complication of bypass (well, other than dumping, which affects about 30% of us and can be prevented by not eating a bunch of sugar or fat at one sitting, which none of us should be doing ANYWAY). Strictures, the most common complication according to him, happen to 5% of bypass patients. I wouldn't call something that happens to 5% of patients "common", but that gives you an idea of how "common" complications are. And strictures, like most other complications, are minor and can be easily fixed. They did an upper endoscopy, stretched it out, and I was good to go. I honestly don't know anyone who regretted having weight loss surgery, and I've volunteered for my clinic, been very active on national internet forums, and attended national conferences. Yes, the first few weeks can be tough and a lot of people have "buyer's remorse" during that time, but once they get beyond that initial phase, when they can eat more, have fewer food restrictions, feel fine, and have kind of figured out this whole deal, you're not going to find many people who regret it. Personally, it's the best decision I've ever made. My life is completely different than it was 200 lbs ago, and I wouldn't go back there for ANYTHING. I would have this surgery every year if I had to! I'm in my mid-60s and had my surgery over eight years ago - I could kick myself for not doing it sooner!

My nutritionist suggested ProCare with 18mg iron as i am past menstruation. I think they have a ProCare rep that gives them samples and that's why they suggested it? 🤣 I didn't like switching from shiny leaf bariatric vitamins but i cant find that one with 18mg iron. My bloodwork was always great with shiny leaf so we will see how it is after 3 months of taking ProCare. The Procare are more expensive also which i do not like.

I don’t remember exactly (I am 2+ yrs out), but I would say around month 2 or 3. I still find that cold coffee is easier on my stomach. I use the 30g vanilla protein shakes as my creamer. My breakfast for over a year has been coffee with a protein shake (either vanilla or caramel).

I have a surgery date of 11/30/23 and just started wearing the C-PAP as of last week. It is NOT going well at all. I had a score of 4 out of 24 and not sure why they are making do this. I'm lucky to 2 to 4 hours with the thing. I don't like it but attempting every night as they have instructed. I'm hoping after the surgery and I lose some weight that it won't be needed anymore. Just jump through their hoops and i'm sure your surgery will be on track. Gotta say, I have had to wait almost 1 1/2 yrs for this! Oh well, fingers crossed.

Do not go by the fitbit, I used to have one and it counts your resting metabolic rate, meaning the 3k calories its showing you burned include your breathing and your bodily functions not your calories burned by exercise. It also will randomly record an exercise or activity if you move your hand too much etc. I was advised by my dietician to increase my carb and protein since I was doing HIIT or strength training 4-5 times a week, so now I try to do 80g of protein with a shake. I do for carbs sweet potato, quinoa, protein bread or wrap, oatmeal (fiber) and cream of wheat. I tend to weight more or less the same when I train hard since there is water retention for muscle repair, so make sure you are drinking above the recommended 64oz to avoid this. It also helps to look at your weight total per month, not by week or weigh in when you are training, and to start taking your measurements to help see how your body is changing.